Trump calls to 'liberate' Michigan, Minnesota, and Virginia the day after saying only the governors had the power to lift coronavirus restrictions
- The day after President Trump said that the timeline for lifting coronavirus restrictions would be up to the governors of each state, he tweeted, "LIBERATE MICHIGAN," "LIBERATE MINNESOTA" and "LIBERATE VIRGINIA."
- Trump acknowledged at Thursday's White House briefings that some of these protesters may be his supporters, and would likely "respect" his "opinion," which he claimed was the same as the states' governors.
- Trump can't order states to lift their coronavirus restrictions — that's up to the governors that issued them — but he can use the bully pulpit and attempt to influence public opinion in his favor.
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Less than 24 hours after telling Americans that the decision to ease coronavirus-related restrictions was up to governors, Trump tweeted a call to "LIBERATE" the states of Michigan, Minnesota, and Virginia.
In all three states, some residents have gathered in large groups — in defiance of state orders and medical expertise — to protest the stay-at-home and social distancing orders. The protests have raised serious safety concerns, as the coronavirus is believed to spread primary through respiratory emissions, making it vital for people to observe social distancing rules and avoid large groups.
At Thursday night's coronavirus task force briefing, Trump and his team unveiled a proposed roadmap to easing restrictions. The president repeatedly emphasized that the governors had the power and discretion to decide how their states would progress through the plan. He did not give a specific date or deadline for the plans to move forward, but asserted that many states were able to open soon.
But on Friday morning, Trump's Twitter sang a different tune. "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!" "LIBERATE MINNESOTA," he tweeted.
"LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment," the president added in a third tweet. "It is under siege!
Trump later demanded that states "step up their TESTING!"
Some of the most dramatic protests have taken place in Michigan, where hundreds of angry protesters deliberately violated the state's stay-at-home order to demonstrate outside the state capitol. They accused Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat with whom Trump has sparred during this crisis, of violating their rights by ordering them to stay inside.
In Minnesota, protesters brought signs and flags to a packed demonstration outside the governor's mansion.
In Virginia, a slightly more idyllic protest took place on Thursday, as residents gathered in Richmond with picnic blankets and without masks to protest the state's order.
On Thursday, Trump was asked about the protesters around the country and whether he believed they should comply with law enforcement. Trump he acknowledged that some of them were his supporters, who would likely listen to his opinion.
"I think they're listening," Trump said. "I think they'd listened to me. They seem to be protesters that like me and respect this opinion and my opinion is the same as just about all of the governors."
Trump continued: "They all want to open. Nobody wants to stay shut, but they want to open safely. So do I, but we have large sections of the country right now that can start thinking about opening. There'll be some mitigation and they'll keep it going for a period of time [...] So, that will be a governor's choice and we'll have no problem with it."
The actual power to lift lockdown orders rests with individual governors, not the president. But Trump has made it clear he wants the U.S. can move out of shutdown mode and people can return to work, thereby alleviating the economic damage being caused by the coronavirus shutdowns.
The White House did not immediately return a request for clarification on the intention of the tweets.
While he can't lift the orders himself, the president could use the bully pulpit and attempt to influence public opinion, so that residents put pressure on their governors to ease the orders.